Being-in-the-moment

Being in the moment is a mode where instead of reacting to events and people,
we choose how we direct our attention and awareness of them, and respond. This
saves time and energy and brings other business benefits.

Getting out of your head

Who has not been caught up by having their buttons pushed and reacting
immediately, usually with less than an optimal outcome? Yes, they would prefer
to be more responsive and creative. But reacting is a cycle. You might wonder
why you so easily veer into feeling worked up, agitated, and stressed knowing
that you would rather feel calm and centred, and focus on constructive action.

What is “being in the moment” like?

Being in the moment is the mode where action can flourish and stress is
absent. Creative responses are more likely when we’re in the moment.
Authenticity and thinking on one’s feet also come easily from his mode. When we
are in the moment we are very powerful because we respond instead of react to
challenging situations and people.

Two Core Skills

Being in the moment is comprised of two overarching skills. The first is
awareness, and the second is attention. We are well aware of what is going on
around us, but are hardly ever aware of how we process what is going on. A
reactive cycle takes us out of the moment, so we’re less effective. Awareness of
how we process what is going on is important for leaders and organizations
because it saves time and energy.

Awareness

New, better responses to work, leadership and life arise naturally when we
are first aware of what goes on ‘upstairs’. Our ‘doing’ follows our state of
being. Once a leader keys in on this awareness, s/he has a powerful mode to use.
They reclaim their attention and can now direct it in purely constructive and
creative ways. Awareness is a first step because we can control only those
things that we are aware of.

Reactions

Once this awareness is generated, we notice that much time and energy is
spent reacting to people and situations. A reaction is a conditioned way of
processing the world. It is automatic and uncontrolled. When we say 'he/she
really pushed my buttons' we are describing a reaction. Someone or something
happened and we are now thinking in a way that is both uncontrolled and likely
to lead to further agitation and stress.

No Time to Think

Some reactions, like the ones that get us out of harm’s way, are necessary to
our survival. You saw a bus careening down the road and you leapt out of the
way. Your mind reacted and you did not have time to become agitated or stressed
about the bus careening down the road. You did not have time to think, “Oh, this
is rather negative.” Or “Why does this always happen to me?” Your focus was
simply on action.

Being in this moment

You were naturally in the moment. The external event was processed quickly
enough that you created no blocks to action. Blocks to action happen when we
process an external situation or person in a way that causes an internal problem
for us. We know when we are turning an event or person into a problem when we
take on stress, anger, anxiety or a host of other negative states. This is the
true problem, as negative reactions waste time and energy.

Conserve Time and Energy

Unlike the split-second jump out of the way of a bus, there seems to be all
sorts of time and energy available in our work days to create negative
reactions. These block action as well as creative responses. They hinder
relationships, and slowly turn promising people into puddles of anxiety.

Attention

Attention means the thing we are focusing on; what we are ‘thinking about’.
With awareness, we have the opportunity to direct and control our thinking in a
manner that yields the best results.

Responding

When we are responding, rather than reacting, we have the space in our mind
to generate solutions, creative or otherwise, navigate easier through conflict,
and be calm and centred under pressure. When we are responding we have choice.
When we are reacting, there is no choice made.

There are simple and effective ways we can learn how to respond.

Is ‘Normal’ Working for You?

Some of us think that it is only normal to react to challenging situations
and people. Isn’t it just natural to have a negative reaction and get into a
negative frame of mind when faced with certain people and certain situations?
Isn't that just the way it is? Is the way you are reacting having a positive
effect on your work? Does it help your interactions with others? Does stress add
to the bottom line? Would you choose to be stressed if you knew you had the
option not to be? No one would choose to be encumbered and hindered from
achieving more and successfully taking on new challenges if they were aware they
had a choice.

Become a Scientist of your Own Mind

Our mind is accustomed to thinking whatever its wants when it wants. At first
it resists the mode called being in the moment. To get there and stay there,
become like a scientist; keenly interested in getting to the truth of what is
happening in your mind -- especially during difficult times. What are you
focusing on? Do you have a choice?

Watch where your focus goes

A biologist observing the behaviour of seals doesn't get upset when some
seals are gathering here and others are gathering there. She is just interested
in what they do. She is not interested in what they should do. The only reason
why she may be interested in what they should do is that it is different than
what they were doing yesterday. Like the biologist, we first want to discover
what is happening and make no judgments about what we think should be happening.
Of course politicians should be honest, your food should arrive warm, your boss
should appreciate you more, and so and so should be different. But then, these
are not the real problems. Our ‘problems’ come from what we focus on.

Help Others

What it would be like to be calm, centred and focused, despite what is
happening on the outside? Isn’t this an essential tool for leaders, change
agents and forward thinkers? Like the invention of the computer, would it help
us do almost everything better?

Management from the Inside

As you learn to be more in the moment you will still take action, manage
situations and people, plan, anticipate reactions, innovate and lead. All these
management activities become easier, less stressful and more enjoyable when you
are in the moment. You will also find that you are more creative and
constructive in all of your activities.

Andrew Burnham is President of Improv at work,
a team and leader development company
active on two continents for 8 years.